nursing student clinical hours!

[SillyLilly]

Hello,

I am in a 2 year program, and at the end of my 2nd semester. We have 1 day at clinical a week. We are in the hospital for 6 hours, and are on the floor for about 3-4 hours. I DO NOT FEEL like this is adequate! I was wondering about the hours and experiences of other students in clinical.

In the actual clinical setting, we do bed bath, vitals, some oral meds (if prof. assigns) some ims and subq(again if you get assigned) and one or 2 students a week get to work with ivpb. We work on a med surg unit.

What are your clincical hours/ experieces like?

[kellyo, LPN]

We start off from the 2nd unit (semester?) doing 7 weeks on the ward and then 7 weeks in University. When on the ward we do 3 x 12 hour shifts per week (might be nights or weekends, whatever your mentor is doing). We do get about 9 weeks holiday per year though.

I've often thought that this would be a better way to learn at clinicals--having several weeks of class, followed by several weeks of clinicals. We do two days a week, 6 hours each for 5 semesters. I'm in the second semester and haven't done too much-- po meds, sq injections, dressing changes, tube feed, d/c'd a foley and tons of IVs and tons and tons of bed making, hiny wiping and baths!

We have 10 weeks in the summer semester--5 weeks OB, and 5 weeks women's health. We only have 8 weeks of clinicals, though. And I'm disappointed that only 1 of those weeks is L&D...

[SillyLilly]

llg-

your post is encouraging. I really do feel like i am being underprepared clinically. and would feel more confident if i could practice what i learn in the classroom. but there are many nurses from my program that have graduated, and are doing fine.

also, i believe it is important to make the best of clinicals. i am excited, like many for ob next sememster, if i make it through this one.....

i believe i can though!

[Amber_student_nurse]

Hi all,

We have a fantastic theory - practical balance throughout our whole course with no less than 6 weeks practical a semester. Our practicals reflect our knowledge base with first semester students placed at geriatric wards, nursing homes, demintia wards etc. Im so happy i got into this uni as it has the by far the most practical time allocated in Western Australia.

Amber